Recyclable containers, such as fiber drums are used to store a variety of products and materials. For example, fiber drums may be used to store wire for use in an arc welding system. In some arc welding systems, such as MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding systems, metal wire is used as an electrode to produce an arc. The welding wire also acts as filler material and is consumed during the welding process. Typically, the welding wire is fed from a wire feeder to a hand-held welding gun. A welding wire supplier may provide the welding wire to a customer in a fiber drum. A typical fiber drum used for storing welding wire is hollow and formed of a cellulosic material, such as paper or cardboard. In addition, a typical fiber drum has a metal band around the top to enable the fiber drum to be lifted by a device coupled to the metal band. In addition, special straps may be needed to move the fiber drum onto a pallet or to remove the fiber drum from the pallet. The weight of the fiber drums may make movement of the fiber drums difficult. Thus, the fiber drum is placed on a pallet when being moved. A forklift, or other lifting device may then move the pallet.
Once in position, the cover for the fiber drum is removed from the fiber drum. The cover for the fiber drum may be composed of metal or a cellulose material secured to the fiber drum by a metal ring. A conical payoff typically is placed atop the fiber drum after the cover is removed. The payoff serves as a funnel to guide the wire from the fiber drum to a conduit system. The conduit system, in turn, guides the wire to a welding machine. However, the payoffs are limited in their application to fiber drums having a corresponding size and shape. For example, a conical payoff may be used with a fiber drum having a round top, but may not be used on a fiber drum having an octagonal shape. In addition, the diameter of the payoff would have to correspond to the diameter of the fiber drum. A payoff could not be used with a given fiber drum if the diameter of the payoff was less than the diameter of the fiber drum. Furthermore, each payoff does has a certain cost that is associated with the payoff. This cost could be avoided if the payoff were not needed.
Fiber drums typically are discarded after the wire, or other material housed therein, is consumed because the fiber drums cannot easily be recycled. Recycling is difficult because the cellulosic portion of the drum must be separated from the metal portion of the drum to recycle either the fibrous portion or the metal portion. That operation can be complex and time consuming. Thus, a typical fiber drum owner ultimately pays to dispose of the empty fiber drum as refuse, rather than regaining some of the cost of the fiber drum by recycling.